Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-09-29
UNCLE EPH'S ESCAPE.
He Gives His Own Version of the
Affair.

About four miles east of the town l
live in is the old Groot place, beauti-
full farm of five or six hundred acres,
and when was growing girl l used
to spend weeks and weeks there with
Mary Groot. l did every thing she
did-rOse at daybreak. fed young
lambs and calves on bottle. helped
take care of the chickens and turkeys.
caught the roam mare and harnessed
her to the buggy if any body wanted
to drive to town, and l even went
to the district school for awhile. The
GroOts. who were not connections of
our family in the remotest degree,
were all uncles and aunts and cousins
to me. and the farm was a second
home. My pony and 1 were always
welcome there, and it was, perhaps,
partly owing to my aversion to all
schools, except the poor little district
school, that l was sent to Europe to
have some education crammed down
my throat.
When l came home. three years aft
er. on the very first spare day drove
out to the Groot farm, telling my
mother beforehand that would spend
the night if was invited. A certain
letter of Mary's, which had remained
unanswered. lay heavy on my con-
science; otherwise l should have
packed a sachel and gone to the farm
with the intention of spending sew
eral days. As l logged along the
turnpike. driving the pony. that, like
me. had grown sedate, forgot that
my dress was no longer up to the tops
of my boots until the toll-gate came
in sight. In former days it had given
me great pleasure to send the pony
through the gate on a run. and little
fat, rcd-faced man would bounce out
and shake his fist after me, but now,
when a sad-looking woman stretched
forth her hand. l meekly dropped the
pennies into it and made a remark
about the weather. Mad youth had
fed forever. On we logged, the pony
and l. up the long brick-yard hill,
then turned off into narrow, wind
Ing road. passing the school-housc,
which was shut up SO tight that it
seemed as if it could never be opened
again. was growing very melan-
choly. and the November day suited
my mood, for the sky was lcad-col-
ored. and . despond,< little wind
made the naked branches of the trees
creak like old mems joints. There
had been light fall of snow. and
here and there q white patch lay in
the hollows, bringing out the brown
tone of the fields.
BY the time had reached the farm
1 had convinced myself that all the
Groots were dead. aud that their house
and barns were in ruins; but a mass
of smoke curling up out of stout red
chimney raised my dropping spirits.
and when very old dog trotted to the
gate. recognized Prince and he acted
as if he recognized me. There was
not soul stirring. 1 drove the
pony under the shed, tied and blank
cted him and then went toward the
house. Prince following me. The house
is built of store, anu the root slopes
down SO steep that the tiny windows
under the caves have the demure look
of eyes shaded by long lashes. They
twinkled at me; they invited me to en-
ter. and tapped lightly at the sitting
room door, which was opened ut once
by Uncle Eph Groot He was a tall.
spare. bald old man. who shaves three
times a week. Sundays Wednesdays
and Fridays, and as this was Tuesday
there was . silvery growth Of stubbls